It was a bling fest — fashion events dedicated to bridal fashion always are. But there are so many times when wedding wear never really becomes distinctive, when it simpers in a banal amalgamation of fabric-meet-sequins-meet-embroidery-meet-wealthy — but — conventional clientele.

Credit has to be given to the PFDC L’Oreal-Paris Bridal Week (PLBW), now in its seventh year, for trying to nudge Pakistani wedding wear out of these generic waters. It’s an effort that isn’t always successful but the fabric that weaves together fashion week is getting stronger over time. There were a few statements, a smattering of new trends, some memorable moments, glamour and some good old-fashioned tamasha.

I consider that to be an achievement given how hackneyed our bridal catwalks can be, usually masquerading as ‘fashion-savvy’ when they are truly just presenting catalogues. At the PLBW this year, as always, certain designers couldn’t quell their commercial aspirations and merely shook out their catalogues on to the catwalk. There were others who mesmerised with their glittery glory.

“Our aim is to provide designers with an efficient platform where they can show their work to best effect,” Pakistan Fashion Design Council Chairperson Sehyr Saigol pointed out. “It’s up to them to avail that opportunity or to waste it.”

PFDC L’Oreal-Paris Bridal Week had hits and misses, but never once was the fashion garish or deteriorated towards mediocrity

To the PFDC’s credit, efforts were made to reboot fashion week with a makeover. The grandeur of the previous venue, Falettis Hotel, was replaced by the glossy new Nishat Emporium and the catwalk was brought down to eye-level a la international events. It was a change that may look good in the televised version of PLBW but it had me craning my neck here and there, blinking against the spotlight. Some changes take time to get used to.

Sadia Siddiqui was once again flown in from London for the show’s direction and she kept the pace snappy and efficient. There was the noticeable absence of some veteran models — Cybil Chowdhry, Sadaf Kanwal and Rabia Butt — but the PFDC made up for it by creating a mix of Dubai-based models along with local ones. Short frumpy options were eliminated altogether and the girls stood tall, making the clothes look good.

More importantly, the designer line-up was slimmed down. Twenty-one brands showed through the three-day marathon with many bridal fashion heavyweights — Elan, HSY, Zara Shahjahan and the House of Kamiar Rokni — opting out, preferring to go solo or not wanting to show at all. However, fewer designers are better than lacklustre ones and there were less of the latter at PLBW.

Making the cut

And what defined the designers that made the cut at PLBW this season? It’s hard to pinpoint the essence of a groundbreaking bridal collection. Some collections stand out for their exemplary use of craft with delicate needlework in myriad stitches etched out on a fabric canvas. There are others — and these are lesser in number for designers usually have commerce on their minds — who are brave enough to break away from conventional shackles and play with structure, dive towards the risque and present an alternative to an outfit weighed down by embellishment.

PLBW opened with one such collection, where veteran couturier Wasim Khan created designs that provided a canvas for jewellery brand GOLD by Reama Malik. This was the first time that a jeweller had taken up a slot at fashion week and one felt that it worked well for Reama. Her regal heirloom pieces stood out against wedding-wear that was constructed with a masterful skill for draping and structure. There were no embroideries to accentuate the apparel. Instead, they held their own on the basis of the fine fabrics used to create them, the finesse and the occasional jamawar glinting off borders.

Sana Safinaz’s trousseau for the modern wedding was beautiful, blindingly so, even, due to its effusive mirror work. Misha Lakhani’s spin on minimalist but sophisticated bridal wear was refreshing and Sania Maskatiya particularly stood out for her exemplary craftsmanship, creating exquisite trails resplendent with cutwork. Nomi Ansari presented a line-up that was rich in technique and construction, while Fahad Hussayn delved further with his fantastical vision for bridal design.

Amongst the younger labels, one has to applaud Mahgul for its artistry, creating clothes that are guided by a vision and a gimlet eye for detail. Last year’s debutante Shiza Hassan showed promise while being a tad too inclined towards commercial concerns. Sadaf Fawad Khan made a very promising debut with SFK Bridals, presenting a sophisticated, fuss-free ethos for the discerning savant rather than the blind fashion-follower.

Tamasha for the catwalk

Rivaling the clothes this time were the celebrity showstoppers. One after the other, it seemed as if designers had enlisted the entire entertainment fraternity to besiege fashion week. Perhaps the most hyped up appearance was that of Fawad Khan who came to support the debut of his wife’s label, SFK Bridals. Fortunately, Fawad refrained from playing celebrity showstopper, merely accompanying Sadaf Fawad Khan for her final bow. It was a relief for PLBW, at times, went overboard with providing ‘entertainment value.’

Fashion weeks, after all, are platforms for design. The occasional celebrity or two may add spunk to the event but a battalion of them shifts focus away from the clothes on the catwalk. Of course, it allowed certain collections to ‘trend’ on social and electronic media but design needs to be applauded on merit — at fashion week at least.

Entertainment was predictably also delivered by Ali Xeeshan who has now become renowned for his theatric tendencies. His show began with sequin splattered umbrellas, followed by large murals that had been given rustic touches so that they looked as if they belonged on the walls of an ancient haveli. It takes time and effort to have models’ faces created on to murals and the show immediately made impact, with the entire audience riveted and raving. Beyond the antics, though, there could have been so much more to Ali’s clothes.

He is the designer who has created entire menageries of animals on a single lehnga, who spurns the usual floral inspirations to etch palm trees with his threadwork, who works multiple layers of embroidery techniques on a single flower to give it a surreal three-dimensional effect. This time, the clothes were still beautifully worked but many of them lacked the Ali Xeeshan chutzpah. Also, some of them seemed a tad too familiar. It was a safe collection with the standout pieces being the fitted long-coats that weren’t really bridal couture but enthralling all the same. The collection emphasised that a theatrical experience can be great as long as the fashion itself is also awe-inspiring. This time, Ali Xeeshan fumbled.

The Elan equation

Speaking of experiences, Elan, a veritable bridal heavyweight, chose to set up an enchanted garden of sorts on the day following PLBW, showing a capsule line defining the brand’s bridal trends for the season. And while solo shows are nothing out of the ordinary, one immediately in the wake of fashion week raised a few eyebrows. Why didn’t designer Khadijah Shah simply show her collection at PLBW?

“We are an established brand now and I like to create a certain ambience to showcase my collections,” she explained. “A solo show gives me the creative freedom to have the clothes styled in a certain way against an especially conceived backdrop.”

This is understandable but perhaps the way forward, then, is for established designers to align themselves with the PFDC when they want to show their work separately. One saw this format working very well at Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) in Karachi last month, with designer Shamaeel Ansari hosting her show a day before in a private location and Sana Safinaz customising a separate auditorium for their finale show.

“The PFDC is more than happy to allow designers to host separate shows under the council umbrella. We would allot that time slot to that designer and he or she would have carte blanche to decide upon the styling, the location and even the guest list,” says Saad Ali, CEO at the PFDC.

It seems like a good solution. Before fashion weeks and established councils came to the fore, solo shows were a norm but now it doesn’t make sense to litter an already clustered fashion calendar with solos. Elan’s prowess at bridal design is undeniable and a show in association with the council would ensure maximum mileage for the brand.

The PLBW is not a bad fashion week to align with. There were hits and misses, but never once was the fashion downright garish, deteriorating towards the mediocre. That’s a precedent being set right there.

The fabric that weaves bridal fashion week is bling-infested and can be unexciting. But the PFDC has been trying consistently to make things better. The fabric’s gotten a shiny, glitzy veneer now — and the weaves are getting stronger day by day.

Published in Dawn, ICON, October 22nd, 2017